EASTHAMPTON -- Businesswoman Lisa Fusco plans to sell Casey's Big Dog Saloon to a business entity formed by Holyoke resident Christian Anthony LaChapelle and his sister Nicole LaChapelle, the newly-elected mayor of Easthampton.

The Easthampton Licensing Board on Monday approved the liquor license transfer to Old Jarvis, LLC, managed by Christian LaChapelle, in a 3-0 vote. Old Jarvis is owned by PER MGMT, Inc., an entity formed by the two siblings, a lawyer for the LaChapelle family confirmed.

Casey's is a no-frills neighborhood bar in a small brick building at 40 1/2 Holyoke Street. The business sale is expected to close after the liquor license transfer is approved by the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, said Fusco. The terms of the pending sale have not been disclosed.

After ABCC approval, which could take months, Fusco plans to close the business for ten days to clean the space and remove personal items. She said she bought Casey's 2007 from Joe Leone.

"It's just time for something new. I'm moving on to other projects. I believe I'm leaving the place in good hands," said Fusco, a Northampton resident.

Northampton Lawyer Michael Aleo, who appeared before the Licensing Board Monday on behalf of the LaChapelle siblings, fielded a question from board member Jason E. Duda, who asked if it is ethical for a mayor to own a business in town.

Aleo said his clients had also wanted clarity on that issue, so they solicited an opinion from the state ethics commission. The opinion said a mayor may own a local business, but may not use her position to gain any undue advantage, Aleo said. Members of the board asked for a copy, and Aleo said he would email the ethics opinion to them.

Aleo said Mayor LaChapelle must disclose her ownership stake when any potential or perceived conflict arises, and recuse herself from any related deliberation or decision-making. Aleo said, for instance, that it would have been inappropriate for the mayor or her brother to directly petition the board for the liquor license transfer.

"Petitioning a public board should be done through a third party, which is why I'm here," he said.

Christian LaChapelle will have an active, day-to-day role managing the business, said Aleo, while Nicole LaChappelle will not be involved. The members of the board are Duda, Robert Redfern, and Kelley A. Richey.

In a telephone interview, Aleo confirmed Nicole LaChapelle is a shareholder in the business, but said client confidentiality barred him from discussing the details. Aleo issued a statement:

"Nicole and her brother decided to invest in a property together before she announced her run for mayor," he said. "She believes in Easthampton and wants to invest in the city's future. Nicole has fully complied with state ethics laws and will continue to do so."

Reached Wednesday, Nicole LaChapelle said she and her brother have a long history of working together, and that they started looking at business and property opportunities in January, including Casey's -- but were not at all sure that the deal would go through.

"There was a lot of back-and-forth," she said. "There are costs to incorporating, which is why we waited until June."

LaChapelle said her plans to run for mayor proceeded along a "parallel track," and that she had no idea whether she would win the election. She said she and her brother solicited ethics opinions early, and are "hyper-aware" of the "strict, well-defined corridor" in which they must operate.

"It's not just me," she said. "No member of my family may directly petition the city for matters related to this or any other business."

Christian LaChapelle recently left his position as operations manager at The Center For School Crisis Intervention & Assessment in Holyoke, a job he held for two decades. Nicole LaChapelle worked at the for-profit school from 1995 to 2016, and became the center's director and senior strategist in 2008.

LaChapelle said her brother took care of anything with "bricks or wheels," and that they collaborated to manage properties and business initiatives at the school. She said her brother, who is chairman of the Holyoke Planning Board, is "capable and knowledgeable."

"I'm actually very excited about this new venture," she said.

PER MGMT, Inc. was registered with the state's corporation division on June 13, 2017, with Nicole LaChapelle as registered agent and secretary, and her brother as president, treasurer, and director. The business entity was formed about a month after LaChapelle registered a committee with the Office of Campaign Finance to explore a run for mayor, and a week before she announced her candidacy. Old Jarvis, LLC, was formed on June 30, with Christian LaChapelle listed as manager of the corporation.